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The Kearsarge - Alabama Battle 



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The Kearsarge- Alabama Battle 



The Story as told to the writer by James Magee 
of Marblehead, Seaman on the Kearsarge. 



Si/ Francis B. C. Bradlee 



[Repriated from the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, Vol. LVII, 1 92 1 . 



ESSEX INSTITUTE 

SALEM. MASSACHUSETTS 

1921 



THE KEARSARGE— ALABAMA BATTLE. 



The Story as Told to the Writer by James Magee 
OF Marblehead, Seaman on the Kearsarge. 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE. 



"After cruising in the English Channel for some time, 
there was a report that the Alabama was expected in some 
part of England, and as the English press made a great 
deal of talk about the Kearsarge, the Captain proposed to 
go to Belgium ; arriving the 27th of May, 186-i, ran into 
Flushing [Flolland] and went into dry dock on the follow- 
ing day, more for a blind than for anything else, as we 
were never in better repair and running order than at that 
time. The 29th of May the Captain gave liberty to all 
on board to go where they pleased, with instructions if 
they heard a gun and saw the colors at our foremast head, 
to report on board as quickly as possible, as that would be 
the signal for sailing orders. All went well until the 10th 
day of June, when the signal gun was fired. All hands 
made for the ship, and in less than twenty minutes all the 
crew were ready for duty. The Captain had all hands 
called to lay aft. He then told us that the Alabama had 
arrived at Cherbourg, France, for repairs, and now was 
the time for us to strike. Then we gave three cheers, 
'spliced the main brace,' and the next tide we hauled out 
of dry dock and put to sea, put another 'splice in the main 
brace' and shaped our course for Dover, England. Arriv- 
ing there the 11th, at 10 o'clock A. M., took in fresh 
supplies, and at 12 o'clock weighed anchor and put to 
sea, shaping our course for Cherbourg. 



Note. The author does not hold himself responsible for the 
many bitter remarks concerning Great Britain found in the follow- 
ing narrative. They were the result of the excited feeling in the 
North, due to the Civil War and the depredations of the Confeder- 
ate commerce destroyers, but in order to render the story of the 
"Kearsarge" — "Alabama" battle as vivid as possible it has been 
thought best to retain the language of the original account. 

(1) 



2 THE KEARSAKGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

"Arriving there early on the 12th, we ran into the mouth 
of the harbor, had a good look at our antagonist, and 
fired a blank shot, out of politeness, for Semmes to come 
out, but he did not come out that day. Here we lay off 
and on, running off by day and standing in by night, 
close enough to see all that went in and out of the harbor. 
We had no communication from Cherbourg up to the 
16th of June ; then three men pulled out from the shore 
in a boat, about six miles, to where we lay, came along- 
side, gave a note to the Captain, and then pulled back 
into port. 

"The Captain told the boatswain to pipe all hands aft. 
He then produced the note, which read thus : 

Captain Winslow: 

Sir: — I am undergoing a few repairs here which, I hope, will not 
take longer than the morrow. Then I will come ont and fight you 
a fair and square fight. 

Most respectfully yours, 

Captain R. Semmes. 

"Three days after, Sunday, June 19th, the lookout at 
masthead espied two steamers coming out of Cherbourg 
harbor, one a long, black, rakish-looking craft, looking very 
much like the Alabama. The officers and men jumped 
into the rigging, took a good look at both vessels, and pro- 
nounced one the Alabama ; at the same time the other 
tacked-ship and put back into port. The Captain gave 
orders to beat to quarters, clear ship for action, and man 
the starboard battery. (We were laying off about six 
miles from shore.) Captain Winslow gave the chief en- 
gineer orders to go ahead slowly, at the same time putting 
the ship's head off shore. The Alabama gaining on us all 
the time, they thought we were afraid and were trying to 
get away from them, but it was not so, we only ran two 
miles farther out ; then, the Captain calling us in neutral 
waters, 'put about,' and stood in to receive her. When 
within about a mile of her, she fired her bow chaser, the 
shot dropping very carelessly alongside our forward pivot 
port within about four feet of our ship's side, and doing no 
damage. The next shot she tired struck us in the port 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 3 

bow and glanced off, doing no barm. She fired some two 
or three shots very wildly, that went whistling above our 
mastheads. During this time we did not fire one shot, 
but when within half a mile we hove round and gave her 
a broadside. Here we had it, broadside and broadside, 
both ships under a full head of steam, the Alabama firing 
two or three shots to our one. We engaged her at seven 
hundred yards, and as we fought in a circle we 'closed 
in' to about five hundred yards, and held this position 
for about half an hour. Then, finding that we were get- 
ting the best of the fight, the Captain, desiring to bring 
the thing to an end, closed in to about two hundred and 
fifty yards, and discharged a full broadside. 

"The men seemed to be getting demoralized ; they ran 
the white flag up in the main rigging and the 'secesh' flag 
in the fore rigging. The Captain gave orders to cease 
firing, and on doing so we found that they thought we 
were off our guai'd, as they let fly another broadside. 
One of the shots went through our smoke pipe, and a 
sixty-eight pounder lodged in our stern post, doing no 
other damage as it did not explode. We then had orders 
to engage her ; so we began to decorate her again with 
our eleven-inch shell. After exchanging two or three 
broadsides on the second part of the fight, we found that 
they began to show us the cold shoulder bj^ jumping over- 
board, not caring to communicate with us any longer, at 
the same time striking their flag and firing a lee gun as a 
surrender. They lowered a boat and manned it with 
three men and pulled toward our ship. They fired one 
more shot, very wildly, which struck our main-top-gallant 
mast and checked the halliards, and the flag flew to the 
breeze. The flag was run up in a ball to the masthead, and 
orders given to one of the men that if we should go 
down, to pull the halliards and go down colors flying. 
We did not fire on them after they struck their flag. The 
boat from the Alabama came alongside, and Lieutenant 
Wilson delivered up his sword and surrendered the ship, 
and told the Captain that if he did not make haste and 
get out boats to save life, that there would be a good many 
go down in the Alabama. 



4 THE KEARSARQE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

"All our boats were disabled but two. They were 
lowered and manned. Just as the boats left the ship, the 
Alabama gave two surges forward and down she went. 
I was in one of the boats that went to pick up the prison- 
ers. As we began to pick them up, we heard them say 
that they had rather drown than to be hanged on board 
of that ship. Some of the men we tried to save would 
throw up their hands and sink down, so we were obliged 
to take the boat-hook and reach down three or four feet 
and hook them up, and some were so far gone that they 
died in the boats. While we were picking up the men, 
the DeerJiound, one of the Royal Yacht Squadron, steamed 
up to within hailing distance of the ship, and the Captain 
asked him if he would be kind enough to assist in picking 
up the men and deliver them up to him, as they were his 
prisoners. He said he would, and steamed in among them 
and picked up quite a number, and among them was 
Captain Semmes. He then steamed off as fast as he could, 
taking advantage while a good part of our men were off 
in the boats ; but if some of the rest on board at the time 
had had their way, I think one of those eleven-inch shells 
would have stopped his headway, and perhaps moored 
him alongside of the Alabama. We spent about half an 
hour in picking up the prisoners, then we 'stood in' for 
the land, and piped for dinner, and for all hands to 'splice 
the main brace,' after which we sat down to grub, and 
feeling pretty well satisfied began to talk over the fight 
with the Rebs. I heard one of them say he thought if 
they had boarded us, the result might have been different, 
as they were so well drilled with small arms. As they 
continued to boast of what they could do at boarding, we 
'turned the tables' by telling them that we still had a 
reserve force by which we could give them an extra dose 
if necessity demanded, or, in other words, that we had an 
appliance by which we could throw scalding water to the 
distance of sixty feet, and we also told them if at the 
same time we discharged a whole broadside from our 
inch guns of grape and canister (as we could do), the 
probability is, to say the least, that they would be shaken 
from stem to stern. 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEB O 

"Here we arrived in port, and all hands called to bring 
ship to anchor, and not till we had arrived here did we 
learn how it was that the Alaha^nas men were so willing 
to drown. The crew told us that Captain Serames told 
them if they were taken prisoners by us that every man 
would hang to the yard arm ; and when our boats left our 
ship to go and pick them up, it chanced that at the same 
time a man was sent up ak)ft to reef off a whip on the 
main yard with which to rig the accommodation ladders, 
so as to enable visitors to get on board, as we were going 
into port. When they saw the man up there they thought 
that what Semmes had told them was correct, and a great 
many went down with that impression. 

"We dropped anchor about two cable lengths astern 
of the French frigate Napoleon, and the gangway dressed 
to receive visitors on board. Those who came on board 
told us that the excitement in Cherbourg was great, that 
there were about forty thousand people who witnessed 
the fight, and that there was great betting among them as 
to which should be the victor — ten to five on the Alabama, 
and hard work to get anybody to take a bet at that, all 
odds being bet on the Alabama. The officers and crew of 
the American ship RockiyigJiam also told us of the inti- 
macy of the Deerliound. They said that this yacht had 
brouo-ht men from England here who had volunteered their 
services to help destroy us, and were drilled in Her Majes- 
ty's ship Excellent as experienced gunners. Not crediting 
all that these men told, some of our ofiicers went on shore 
and found from good, reliable sources, that this yacht had 
brought twenty-five men, twelve of whom had joined 
the Alabama. The Rockingham belonged in Maine. She 
was the last vessel the Alabama destroyed, — twelve hours 
previous to her going in to Cherbourg. These men also 
told us that what added to the excitement of the battle 
was, that we were fighting in a circle and apparently got 
mixed ; that it was impossible to tell which one had 
gone down, even after the fight was over, as the wind was 
off-shore, so that when we stood in for the land our 
colors trained aft, and it was impossible to tell who the 
victor was. We laid here three days, in which our car- 



b THE KBARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

penter repaired all of our damage without any assistance 
from shore, with the exception of a boiler-maker, who put 
a patch on our smoke pipe. We got up steam at 3 o'clock 
P. M., weighed anchor and put to sea, escorted out by a 
little steam yacht chartered by a party of American gen- 
tlemen and their ladies, with a band on board and the 
American flag flying. The band gave us a number of 
national airs, and when about three miles off, outside the 
breakwater, steaming at about six miles an hour, they 
struck up the "Star Spangled Banner" and gave us three 
cheers. We then gave her an extra turn ahead that sent 
us through the water about fifteen knots, leaving them 
behind us. We dipped our colors, manned the yards, 
gave three rousing cheers, and bade adieu and a hasty 
farewell to the coast of France. 

"We arrived at Dover, England, early on the 24th, 
amidst cheer after cheer that went echoing through the 
lofty white cliffs of Dover from a Highland Regiment and 
a number of others, whose acquaintance we had made 
while cruising in the Channel. All were anxiously wait- 
ing to learn the correct news of our loss. It had been 
reported that we had lost twenty-seven men and the Ala- 
bama had lost eight. This was tlie first news the English 
press gave of the fight, and of course they must have 
known better, as the Deerhound brought the news and 
Captain Semmes, too. 

"That an English yacht, one belonging to the Royal 
Yacht Squadron and flying the white ensign, too, during 
the conflict, should have assisted the Confederate prison- 
ers to escape after they had formally surrendered them- 
selves, according to their own statements, by firing a lee 
gun, striking their colors, hoisting a white flag and send- 
ing a boat to the Kearsarge^ some of which signals must 
have been seen on board the yacht, is most humiliating to 
the national honor. The movement of the yacht early 
on Sunday morning was, as before shown, most suspicious, 
and had our captain followed the advice and reiterated 
request of the crew and officers, the Deerhound might 
have been lying not far distant from the Alabama. The 
captain could not believe that a gentleman who was asked 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 7 

by himself to save life would use the opportunity to de- 
camp with the officers and men, who, according to their 
own act, were prisoners of war. There is a high pre- 
sumptive evidence that the Deerhound was at Cherbourg 
for the express purpose of rendering every assistance 
possible to the corsair, and we may be permitted to doubt 
whether Mr, Lancaster, the friend of Mr. Laird and a 
member of the Mersey Yacht Club, would have carried 
us to Southampton if the result of the struggle had been 
reversed and the Alabama had sent the Kearsarge to the 
bottom. The Deerhound reached Cherbourg on the 17th 
of June, and between that time and the night of the 18th 
a boat was observed from the shore passing frequently 
between her and the Alabama. This I got from men taken 
from different merchant ships by the Alabama and landed 
in Cherbourg. 

"The ship was open for visitors at Dover, and at 8 
bells they were shown on board. In less than ten min- 
utes our decks were full of people. Here we lay for 
several days, with beautiful weather, and our ship 
thronged with visitors from morning till night. Boats 
and yachts of all descriptions and steamers from London 
with bands of music playing 'Yankee Doodle' and other 
airs for the occasion, all packed to their utmost with 
ladies and gentlemen, came to visit us, and everybody 
seemed to be having a good time. We had fiddling and 
dancing on board and some games of amusement, which 
gave the whole thing a lively appearance. The poor 
boatmen wished the thing would hold on three months, 
for they never made so much money by boating in their 
lives as they had since we had come. One of our visitors 
was the Lord Warden. In the course of conversation he 
said toone of the old salts, 'I suppose you credit our 
noble Armstrong guns for the victory you have won, do 
you not ?' The old salt said, 'My good man, we have no 
such guns on board here, nothing but good old Yankee 
guns, and between yoa and me they are d — d headstrong 
gunsi' We lay here till July 9th, 1864, all enjoying a 
good time as before stated, when the captain's gig or 
boat came alongside and he came on board. He then 



8 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

gave orders to the boatswain to pipe all hands to get 
anchor for the United States and all visitors to leave the 
ship. Why, my friend, you can just iruagine our feel- 
ings. Here we were bordering on the fourth year of our 
cruise, and the last news we had from home was that we 
should not be called home till the career of the Alabama 
was ended. For some reason or other, this was the first 
time during the whole cruise that I ever heard anything 
that sounded musical in our boatswain's voice. The vis- 
itors all out of the ship, steam up, and all ready to heave 
away, and at 11 o'clock A. M., we bent on our long 
streaming pennant and cat-headed the anchor, manned the 
yards and gave three cheers, dipped our colors, squared 
away, steaming about twelve knots an hour, bidding adieu 
to the people of England and France, homeward bound. 
"Such are the facts relating to the memorable action 
off Cherbourg on the nineteenth of June, eighteen hun- 
dred and sixty-four. The Alabama went down, riddled 
through and through with shot and shell, and as she sank 
beneath the green waves of the English Channel, not a 
single cheer arose from us of the Kearsarge. Our noble 
Lieutenant Commander, James S. Thornton, gave the 
command, 'Silence, boys!' and in perfect silence this terror 
of our American commerce plunged forward tv.'ice or 
thrice and down she went forty fathoms deep in her own 
waters, and amidst the hideous howls of her officers and 
crew." 

English Account of the Battle. 

As it will interest Americans to read an Englishman's 
version of this noted sea fight, a narrative written and 
published in pamphlet form in England within a few days 
of the fight, is given. Mr. Magee says : "My country- 
men may well look with pride on our brave tars, when 
their gallantry stands out so conspicuously, even when 
seen from an Englishman's standpoint." 

The importance of the engagement between the United 
States sloop-of-war Kearsarge and the Confederate man- 
of-war Alabama cannot be estimated by the size of the 
two vessels. The conflict off Cherbourg on Sunday, the 






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BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 9 

19th of June, was the first decisive engagement between 
shipping propelled by steam, and the first test of the 
merits of modern naval artillery. It was, moreover, a 
contest for superiority between the ordnance of Europe 
and America, whilst the result furnishes us with data 
wherewith to estimate the relative advantages of rifled 
and smooth-bore cannon at short ran^e. 

Perhaps no greater or more numerous misrepresenta- 
tions were ever made in regard to an engaffement than in 
reference to the one in question. The first news of the 
conflict came to us enveloped in a mass of statements, the 
greater part of which, not to use an unparliamentary ex- 
pression, were diametrically opposed to the truth ; and 
although several years have now elapsed since the Ala- 
bama followed her many defenceless victims to their 
watery grave, these misrepresentations obtain as much 
credence as ever. The victory of the Kearsarge was ac- 
counted for, and the defeat of the Alabama excused or 
palliated, by the following reasons : 

1. The superior size and speed of the Kearsarge. 

2. The superiority of her armament. 

3. The chain-plating of her sides. 

4. The lack of preparation of the Alabama. 

5. The greater number of her crew. 

6. The assumed necessity (as represented) of Captain Semmes 
accepting the challenge sent him by the commander of the Kear- 
sarge. 

Besides these misstatements, there have been others 
put forth, either in ignorance of the real facts of the 
case, or with a purposed intention of diminishing the 
merit of the victory by casting odium upon the Federals 
on the score of inhumanity. In the former category must 
be placed the remarks of the Times, June 21 ; but it is 
just to state that the observations in question were made 
on receipt of the first news and from information fur- 
nished probably by parties unconnected with the paper, 
and desirous of palliating the Alabama's defeat by any 
means in their power. We are informed in the article 
above referred to that the guns of the latter vessel had 
been pointed for 2,000 yards, and the second shot went 



10 THE KEARSARGE— ALABAMA BATTLE 

right through the Kearsarge, whereas no shot whatever 
went through as stated. Again, "the Kearsarge fired 
about one hundred (shot), chiefly eleven-inch shell," the 
fact being that not one-third of her projectiles were of 
that calibre. Further on we find, "the men (of the Ala- 
bama) were all true to the last, they only ceased firing 
when the water came to the muzzles of their guns." Such 
a declaration as this is laughable in the extreme. The 
Alalama's guns were all on the spardeck, like those of the 
Kearsarge, and to achieve what the Times represented her 
men must have fought on until the hull of their vessel 
was two feet under water. The truth is, if the evidence 
of the prisoners saved by the Kearsarge may be taken, 
Captain Semraes hauled down his flag immediately after 
being informed by his chief engineer that the water was 
putting out the fire ; and within a few minutes the water 
gained so rapidly on the vessel that her bow rose slowly 
in the air, and half her guns obtained a greater elevation 
than they had ever known previously. 

It is unfortunate to find such cheap-novel style of writing 
in a paper, which at some future period may be referred 
to as an authoritative chronicler of events now transpir- 
ing. It would be too long a task to notice all the numer- 
ous misstatements of private individuals and of the Eng- 
lish and French press in reference to this action. The 
best mode is to give the facts as they occurred, leaving 
the public to judge by internal evidence on which side 
the truth exists. 

The Kearsarge in size is by no means the terrible craft 
represented by those who, for some reason or other, seek 
to detract from the honor of her victory. She appeared 
to me a mere yacht in comparison with the shipping 
around her, and disappointed many of the visitors who 
came to see her. The relative proportions of the two 
antagonists were as follows : 

Alabama Kearsarge 

Length over all, 220 feet 232 feet 

Length of keel, 210 " 198^ " 

Beam, 32 " 33 " 

Depth, IT " 16 " 

Horse power, two engines of 300 each 400 horse power 

Tonnage, 1040 1031 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 11 

The Alabama was a barque-rigged screw propeller, and 
the heaviness of her rig, and, above all, the greater size 
and height of her masts, would give her the appearance 
of a much larger vessel than her antagonist. The masts 
of the latter are disproportionately low and small. She 
has never carried more than topsail yards, and depends 
for her speed upon her machinery alone. It is to be 
questioned whether the Alabama, with all her reputation 
for velocity, could in her best trim outsteam her rival. 
The log book of the Kearsarge, which I was courteously 
permitted to examine, frequently shows a speed of up- 
wards of fourteen knots the hour, and her engineers state 
that her machinery was never in better working order than 
at the present time. I have not seen engines more com- 
pact in form nor apparently in finer condition, looking 
in every part as though they were fresh from the work- 
shop, instead of being, as they were, half through the 
third year of the cruise. 

Ships-of-war, however, whatever may be their tonnage, 
are nothing more than platforms for carrying artillery. 
The only mode by which to judge of the strength of the 
two vessels is in comparing their armaments ; and herein 
we find the equality of the antagonists as fully exemplified 
as in the respective proportions of their hulls and steam 
power. The armaments of the Alabama and Kearmrge 
were as follows : 

Armament of the Alabama. Armament of the Kearaarge. 

One 7-inch Blakely rifle Two 11-inch smooth-bore guns 

One 8-inch smooth-bore 68 pounder One 30 pounder rifle 
Six 32 pounders Four 32 pounders 

It will therefore be seen that the Alabama had the ad- 
vantage of the Kearsarge — at least in the number of her 
guns, while the weight of the latter's broadside was only 
some twenty per cent, greater than her own. This dis- 
parity, however, was more than made up by the greater 
rapidity of the Alabama's firing, and, above all, by the 
superiority of her artillery-men. The Times informs us 
that Captain Semmes asserts "he owes his best men to 
the training they received on board the Excellent ;" and 
trained gunners must naturally be superior to the volun- 



12 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

teer gunners on board the Kearsarqe. Each vessel fought 
all her guns, with the exception in either case of one 32- 
pounder on the starboard side ; but the struggle was 
really decided by the two 11-inch Dahlgren smooth-bores 
of the Kearsarge, against the 7-inch Blakely rifle and the 
heavy 68-pounder pivot of the Alabama. The Kearsarge 
certainly carried a small rifled 30-pounder in pivot on her 
forecastle, and this gun was fired several times before the 
rest were brought into play, but the gun in question was 
never regarded as other than a failure, and the Ordnance 
Department of the United States Navy has given up its 
manufacture. 

Great stress has been laid upon the chain-plating of the 
Kearsarge, and it is assumed by interested parties that but 
for this armour the contest would have resulted different- 
ly. A pamphlet published in the city of London, entitled 
"The Career of the Alabama," makes the following state- 
ments : — "The Federal Government had fitted out the 
Kearsarge, a new vessel of great speed, iron-coated, etc." 
(page 23). "She, the Kearsarge, appeared to be tempo- 
rarily plated with iron chains" (page 38). (In the pre- 
vious quotation it would appear she had been so plated by 
the Federal Government ; both statements are absolutely 
incorrect, as will shortly be seen.) "It was frequently 
observed that shot and shell struck against the side of the 
Kearsarge and harmlessly rebounded, bursting outside and 
doing no damage to the Federal crew. Another advan- 
tage accruing from this was that it sunk her very low in 
the water, so low, in fact, that the heads of the men who 
were in the boats were on the level of the Kearsarge' s 
deck (page 39). As before observed, the sides of the 
Kearsarge were trailed all over with chain cable " (page 

41). 

The author of the pamphlet in question has judiciously 
refrained from giving his name. A greater number of 
more unblushing misrepresentations never were contained 
in an equal space. In his official report to the Confeder- 
ate Envoy, Mr. Mason, Captain Semmes makes the fol- 
lowing statements : 

"At the end of the engagement it was discovered by 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 13 

those of our officers who went alongside the enemy's ship 
with the wounded, that her midship section on both sides 
was thoroughly iron-coated, this having been done with 
chain constructed for the purpose, placed perpendicularly 
from the rail to the water's edge, the whole covered over 
by a thin outer planking, which gave no indication of the 
armor beneath. This planking had been ripped off in 
every direction by our shot and shell, the chain broken 
and indented in many places, and forced partly into the 
ship's side. She was most effectually guarded, however, 
in this section from penetration. The enemy was heavier 
than myself, both in ship, battery and crew, but I did not 
know until the action was over that she was all iron- 
clad." 

As soon as Captain Semmes reached the Deerhound the 
yacht steamed off at full speed towards Southampton, and 
Semmes wrote his report of the fight either in England or 
on board the English vessel. Probably the former, for 
he dates his communication to Mr. Mason, "Southampton, 
June 21, 1864." How did he obtain intelligence from 
those of his officers who went alongside the enemy's ship, 
and who would naturally be detained as prisoners of war ? 
It was impossible for anybody to reach Southampton in 
the time specified ; nevertheless he did obtain such in- 
formation. One of his officers, George T. Fullam, an 
Englishman, unfortunately came to the Kearsarge in a 
boat at the close of the action, representing the Alabama 
to be sinking, and that if the Kearsarge did not hasten to 
get out boats to save life, the crew must go down with 
her. Not a moment was to be lost, and he offered to go 
back to his own vessel to bring off prisoners, pledging his 
honor to return when the object was accomplished. After 
picking up several men struggling in the water, he steered 
directly for the Deerhound, and on reaching her actually 
cast his boat adrift. It was subsequently picked up by 
the Kearsarge. Fullam's name appears amongst the list 
of saved by the Deerhound, and he, with others of the 
Alabama''s officers who had received a similar permission 
from their captors, and had similarly broken their troth, 
of course gave the above information to their veracious 
captain. 



14 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BAQTLE 

The chain-plating of the Kearsarge was decided upon 
in this wise : The vessel lay off Fayal towards the latter 
part of April, 1863, on the lookout for a notorious block- 
ade-runner named the Jujio. The Kearsarge was short 
of coal and fearing some attempts at opposition on the 
part of her prey, the executive officer of the sloop, Lieuten- 
ant Commander James S. Thornton suggested to Captain 
Winslow the advisability of hanging her spare anchor- 
cable over her sides, so as to protect her midship section. 
Mr. Thornton had served on board the flagship of Admiral 
Farragut, the Hartford^ when she and the rest of the Fed- 
eral fleet ran the forts of the Mississippi to reach New 
Orleans, and he made the suggestion at Fayal through 
haying seen the advantage gained by it on that occasion. 
I now copy the following extract from the log-book of 
the Kearsarge : 

Horta Bay, Fayal, May 1st, 1863. 
From 8 to Merld. Wind, E. N. E. (F. 2). Weather, b. c. Strapped, 
loaded and fused (5 sec fuse), 13 11-inch shell. Commenced armor 
plating ship, using sheet chain. Weighed kedge anchor. 

Signed, E. M. Stoddard, Acting Master. 

This operation of chain-armoring took three days, and 
was effected without assistance from the shore and at an 
expense of material of seventy-tive dollars. In order to 
make the addition less unsightly, the chains were boxed 
over with inch-dealboards, forming a case or box, which 
stood out at right angles from the vessel's sides. This 
box would naturally excite curiosity in every port where 
the Kearsarge touched, and no mystery was made as to 
what the boarding covered. Captain Semmes was per- 
fectly cognizant of the entire affair, notwithstanding his 
shameless assertion of ignorance ; for he spoke about it 
to his officers and crew several days prior to the 19th of 
June, declaring that the chains were only attached together 
with rope-yarns and would drop into the water when 
struck with the first shot. I was so informed by his own 
wounded men, lying in the naval hospital at Cherbourg. 
Whatever might be the value for defence of this chain- 
plating, it was only struck once during the engagement, 
so far as I could discover by a long and close inspection. 



BY FRANCIS B. G. BRADLEE 15 

Some of the officers of the Kearsarge asserted to me that it 
was struck twice, while others deny that declaration; in one 
spot, however, a 32-pounder shot broke in the deal-cover- 
ing and smashed a single link, two-thirds of which fell 
into the water. 

Had the cable been struck by the rifled 120-pounder 
instead of by a 32, the result might have been different, 
but in any case the damage would have amounted to noth- 
ing serious, for the vessel's side was hit five feet above 
the water line and nowhere in the vicinity of the boilers 
or machinery. Captain Semmes evidently regarded this 
protection of the chains as little worth ; for he might 
have adopted the same plan before engaging the Kear- 
sarge, but he confined himself to taking on board one 
hundred and fifty tons of coal as a protection to his boil- 
ers, which, in addition to the two hundred tons already in 
his bunkers, would bring him pretty low in the water. 
The Kearsarge, on the contrary, was deficient in her coal, 
and she took what was necessary on board during her stay 
at Cherbourg. 

The quantity of chain used on each side of the vessel 
in this much-talked-of armoring is only one hundred and 
twenty fathoms, and it covers a space amidships of forty- 
nine feet six inches in length by six feet two inches in 
depth. The chain, which is single, not double, was and 
is stopped by eye-bolts with rope-yarn and by iron clogs. 
Is it reasonable to suppose that this plating of one and 
seven-tenths inch iron (the thickness of the links of the 
chain) could offer serious resistance to the heavy 68- 
pounder and the 7-inch Blakely rifle of the Alabama, at 
the comparatively close range of seven hundred yards ? 
What, then, becomes of the mistaken remark of the Times 
that the Kearsarge was provided, as it turned out, with 
some special contrivances for protection, or Semmes' 
declaration that she was iron-clad ? 

The "Career of the Alabama,'''' in referring to this 
chain-plating, says : "Another advantage accruing from 
this was that it sank her very low in the water, so low, in 
fact, that the heads of the men who were in the boats 
were on the level of the Kearsarge' s deck." It is simply 



16 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

ridiculous to suppose that the weight of two hundred and 
forty fathoms of chain could have any such effect upon a 
vessel of one thousand tons' burden, whilst, in addition, 
the cable itself was part of the ordinary gear of the ship. 
Further, the Kearsarge was deficient in seventy tons of 
coal of her proper supply at the time of action, while the 
Alabama had three hundred and fifty tons on board. 

The objection that the Alabama was short-handed does 
not appear to be borne out by the facts of the case, while 
on the other hand a greater number of men than were 
necessary to work the guns and ship would be more of a 
detriment than a benefit to the Kearsarge. The latter 
vessel had twenty-two oflBcers on board and one hundred 
and forty men ; the Alabama is represented to have had 
only one hundred and twenty in her crew (Mr. Mason's 
statement) ; but if her officers be included in this num- 
ber, the assertion is obviously incorrect, for the Kearsarge 
saved sixty-seven, the Deerhound forty-one, and the French 
pilot boats twelve, and this without mentioning the thir- 
teen accounted for as killed and wounded and others who 
went down with the ship. If Captain Semmes' repre- 
sentations were correct in regard to his being short- 
handed, he certainly ought not to be trusted with the 
command of a vessel again, however much he may be 
esteemed by some parties for his Quixotism "in chal- 
lenging an antagonist (to use his own words) heavier 
than myself both in ship, battery and crew." 

The assertion that the Alabama was unprepared is 
about as truthful as the other representations, if we may 
take Captain Semmes' report and certain facts in rebut- 
ting evidence. The captaiu writes to Mr. Mason : "I 
cannot deny myself the pleasure of saying that Mr. Kell, 
my first lieutenant, deserves great credit for the fine condi- 
tion in which the ship went into action." But if Captain 
Semmes was right in the alleged want of preparation, he 
himself is alone to blame. He had ample time for protecting 
his vessel and crew in all possible manners ; he, not the 
Kearsarge, was the aggressor, and but for his forcing the 
fight the Alabama might still be riding inside Cherbourg 
breakwater. Notwithstanding the horrible cause for which 




THE CONFEDERATE STATES STEAMER "ALABAMA' 
From the paii.ting by Walters 




THE UNITED STATES SLOOP-OF-WAR " KEARSARGE " 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLBE 17 

he was struggling, and the atrocious depredations he has 
committed upon helpless merchantmen, we can still ad- 
mire the daring he evinced in sallying forth from a secure 
haven and gallantly attacking his opponent, but when he 
professes ignorance of the character of his antagonist, 
and unworthily attempts to disparage the victory of his 
foe, we forget all our first sympathies, and condemn the 
moral nature ofnthe man, as he has forced us to do his 
judgment. Nor must it be forgotten that the Kearsarge 
has had fewer opportunities for repairs than the Alabama, 
and that she has been cruising around in all seas for a 
much longer period than her antagonist. The Alabama, 
on the contrary, had lain for many days in Cherbourg, 
and she only steamed forth when her captain supposed 
her to be in at least as good a condition as the enemy. 

Finally, the challenge to fight was given by the Ala- 
bama to the Keanarge, not by the Kearsarge to the Ala- 
bama. The "Career of the Alabama,''^ above referred to, 
makes the following romantic statement: 

"When he (Semmes) was challenged by the commander 
of the Kearsarge, everybody in Cherbourg, it appears, 
said it would be disgraceful if he refused the challenge, 
and this, coupled with his belief that the Kearsarge was 
not so strong as she really proved to be, made him agree 
to fight." 

The "Career of the Alabama" gives a letter from her 
surgeon addressed to a gentleman in the city of London. 
The letter reads as follows : 

Chebboubg, June 14, 1864. 
Dear Travers: 

Here we are. I send this by a gentleman coming to London. An 
enemy is outside. If she only stays long enough, we go out and 
fight her. If I live, expect to see me in London shortly. If I die, 
give my best love to all who know me. 

If Monsieur A. de Caillet should call on you, please show him 
every attention. 

I remain, dear Travers, ever yours, 

D. H. Llewellyn. 

There were two brave gentlemen on board the Alabama 
— poor Llewellyn, who nobly refused to save his own life 



18 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

by leaving his wounded, and a young lieutenant, Mr. 
Joseph Wilson, who honorably delivered up his sword on 
the deck of the Kearsarge^ when the other officers threw 
theirs into the water. 

The most unanswerable proof of Captain Semmes 
having challenged the commander of the Kearsarge is to 
be found in the following letter addressed by him to the 
Confederate consul, or agent, at Cherbourg. 

After the publication of this document, it is to be 
hoped we shall hear no more of Captain Winslow's having 
committed such a breach of discipline and etiquette as 
that of challenging a rebel against his government. 

C. S. S. Alabama, Cherbourg, June 14, 1864. 
To Ad. Bonfils, Esq., Cherbourg: 

Sir: — I hear that you were informed by the United States consul 
that the Kearsarge was to come to this port solely for the prisoners 
captured by me, and that she was to depart in twenty-four hours. 
I desire you to say to the United States consul that my intention is 
to fight the Kearsarge as soon as I can make the necessary arrange- 
ments. I hope these will not detain me more than until to-morrow 
evening, or after the morrow morning at farthest. I beg she will 
not depart before I am ready to go out. 
I have the honor to be, 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

E. Semmes, Captain. 

Numerous facts serve to prove that Captain Semmes 
had made every preparation to engage the Kearsarge, and 
that widespread publicity had been given to his intention. 
As soon as the arrival of the Federal vessel was known 
at Paris, an American gentleman of high position came 
down to Cherbourg, with instructions for Captain Wins- 
low ; but so desirous were the French authorities to pre- 
serve a really honest neutrality, that permission was only 
granted to him to sail to her after his promising to return 
to shore immediately on the delivery of his message. 
Once back in Cherbourg, and about to return to Paris, 
he was advised to remain over night, as the Alabama 
intended to fight the Kearsarge next day (Sunday). On 
Sunday morning an excursion train arrived from the 
capitol, and the visitors were received at the terminus of 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 19 

the railwaj' by the boatmen of the port, who offered them 
boats for the purpose of seeing a genuine naval battle, 
which was to take place during the day. Turning such a 
memorable occurrence to practical uses, Monsieur Rondin, 
a celebrated photographic artist on the Place d'Armes at 
Cherbourg, prepared the necessary chemicals, plates and 
camera, and placed himself on the summit of the old 
Church tower, which the whilom denizens of Cherbourg 
had very properly built in happy juxtaposition with his 
establishment. I was only able to see the negative, but 
that was quite suJ9Scient to show that the artist had ob- 
tained a very fine view indeed of the exciting contest. 

At the expiration of one hour and two minutes from 
the first gun, the Alabama hauled down her colors and 
fired a lee gun (according to the statements of her officers), 
in token of surrender. Captain Winslow could not, how- 
ever, believe that the enemy had struck, as his own vessel 
had received so little damage, and he could not regard his 
antagonist as much more injured than himself ; and it was 
only when a boat came off from the Alabama that her 
true condition was known. The 11-inch shell from the 
Kearmrge, thrown with fifteen pounds of powder at seven 
hundred yards' range, had gone clean through the star- 
board side of the steamer, bursting in the port side and 
tearing great gaps in her timber and planking. This was 
plainly obvious when the Alabama settled by the stern 
and raised the fore part of her hull high out of water. 

The Kearsarge was struck twenty-seven times during 
the conflict, and fired in all one hundred and seventy- 
three (173) shots. These were as follows : 

Shots Fired by the Kearsarge, 

Two 11-inch guns 55 shots 

Rifle on forecastle 48 *' 

Broadside 32-pounders 60 " 

12-pounder boat-howitzer 10 " 

Total 173 •« 

The last named gun performed no part whatever in 
sinking the Alabama, and was only used in the action to 



20 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

create laughter among the sailors. Two old quartermas- 
ters, the two Dromios of the Kearsarge, were put in 
charge of this gun, with instructions to fire when they 
received the order. But the two old salts, little relishing 
the idea of having nothing to do while their messmates 
were so actively engaged, commenced peppei'ing away 
with their pea-shooter of a piece, alternating their dis- 
charges with vituperation of each other. This low com- 
edy by-play amused the ship's company, and the officers 
good-humoredly allowed the farce to continue until the 
single box of ammunition was exhausted. 

The Kearsarge was struck as follows : 

One shot through starboard quarter, taking a slanting 
direction aft, lodging in the rudder post. This shot was 
from the Blakely rifle. One shot, carrying away star- 
board lifebuoy. Three 32-pounder shots through port 
bulwarks, forward of mizzen-mast. 

A shell, exploding after end of pivot port. A shell, 
exploding after end of chain-plating. A G8-pounder shell, 
passing through starboard bulwarks below main-rigging, 
wounding three men. 

A Blakely rifle shell, passing through the engine room 
skylight, and dropping harmlessly into the water beyond 
the vessel. Two shots below plank-sheer, abreast of boiler- 
hatch. One, forward pivot port plank-sheer. One, forward 
foremast rigging. A shot, striking launch's spring-lift. 
A rifle shell, passing through funnel, bursting, without 
damage, inside. One, starboard forward main-shroud. 
One, starboard after shroud, maintopmast rigging. One, 
maintopsail tie. One, maintopsail outhaul. One, main- 
topsail runner. Two, through port quarter boat. One, 
through spanker (furled). One, starboard forward shroud, 
mizzen rigging. One, starboard mizzen-topmast backstay. 
One, through mizzen peak signal halyards, which cut the 
stops when the battle was nearly over, and for the first 
time let loose the flag to the breeze. 

This list of damages received by the Kearsarge proves 
the exceedingly bad fire of the Alabama, notwithstanding 
the number of men on board the latter belonging to the 
"Naval Reserve" and the trained hands from the gunnery 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 21 

ship Excellent. I was informed by some of the paroled 
prisoners on shore at Cherbourg that Captain Semmes 
fired rapidly at the commencement of the action, "in 
order to frighten the Yankees," nearly all the officers and 
crew being, as he was well aware, merely volunteers from 
the merchant service. At the expiration of twenty min- 
utes after the Kearsarge discharged the first broadside, 
continuing the battle in a leisurely, cool manner, Semmes 
remarked : "Confound them ; they've been fighting twenty 
minutes, and they're as cool as posts." 

From the time of her first reaching Cherbourg until she 
finally quitted the port, the Kearsarge never received the 
slightest assistance from shore, with the exception of that 
rendered by a boiler-maker in patching up her funnel. 
Every other repair was completed by her own hands, and 
she might have crossed the Atlantic immediately after the 
action without difficulty. So much for Mr. Lancaster's 
statement that "the Kearsarge was apparently much dis- 
abled." 

The first accounts received of the action led us to sup- 
pose that Captain Semmes' intention was to lay his vessel 
alongside of us, and to carry her by boarding. Whether 
this information came from the captain himself, or was 
made out of "whole cloth" by some of his admirers, I do 
not know. The idea of boarding a vessel under steam, — 
unless her engines, or screw, or rudder be disabled, — is 
manifestly ridiculous. The days of boarding are gone by, 
except under the contingencies above stated ; and any 
such attempt on the part of the Alabama would have been 
attended with disastrous results to herself and crew. To 
have boarded the Kearsargt, Semmes must have possessed 
greater speed to enable him to run alongside of her ; and 
the moment the pursuer came'near her victim, the latter 
would shut off steam, drop astern in a second of time, 
sheer off, discharge her whole broadside of grape and 
canister, and rake her antagonist from stem to stern. Our 
pro-Southern sympathizers really ought not to make their 
protege appear ridiculous by ascribing to him such an 
egregious intention. 

The Kearsarge had three men wounded by the same shot, 
a 68-pounder, which passed through the starboard bulwarks 



22 THE KEARSARGE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

below main-rigging, narrowly escaping the after 11-inch 
pivot gun. The fuses employed by the Alabama were 
villainously bad, several shells having lodged in the Kear- 
sarge without taking effect. Had the 7-inch rifle shot 
exploded, which entered the vessel at the starboard quar- 
ter, raising the deck by its concussion several inches 
and lodging in the rudder-post, the action might have 
lasted some time longer. It would not, however, have 
altered the result, for the casualty occurred toward the 
close of the conflict. The officer in charge of the piece 
informed me that the concussion actually raised the gun 
and carriage ; and, had it exploded, many of the crew 
would have been injured by the fragments and splinters. 

Among the incidents of the fight, the limes relates that 
an 11-inch shell from the Kearsarge fell upon the deck of 
the Alabama, and was immediately taken up and thrown 
overboard. Probably no fight ever occurred in modern 
times in which somebody didn't pick up a live shell and 
throw it out of harm's way ; but we may be permitted to 
doubt in this case. Five-second fuses take effect some- 
what rapidly ; the shot weighs considerably more than a 
hundred weight, and is uncomfortably difficult to handle. 
Worse than all for the probabilities of the story, fifteen 
pounds of powder — never more nor less — were used to 
every shot fired from the 11-inch pivots, the Kearsarge 
only opening fire from them when within eight hundred 
yards of the Alabama. With fifteen pounds of powder 
and fifteen degrees of elevation, I have myself seen these 
11-inch Dahlgrens throw three and one-half miles ; and 
yet we are asked to credit that, with the same charge, at 
less than half a mile, one of the shells fell upon the deck 
of the Alabama. There were eleven marines in the crew 
of the Kearsarge ; probably the story was made for them. 

Captain Semmes makes the following statement in his 
official report : 

"Although we were now but four hundred yards from 
each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my 
colors had been struck. It is charitable to suppose that 
a ship of war of a Christian nation could not have done 
this intentionally." 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 23 

A very nice appeal, after the massacre of Fort Pillow, 
especially when coming from a man who had spent the 
previous two years of his life in destroying unresisting 
merchantmen. 

The captain of the Kearsarge was never aware of the 
Alabama having struck until a boat put off from her to 
his own vessel. Prisoners subsequently stated that she 
had fired a lee gun, but the fact was not known on board 
the Federal ship, nor that the colors were hauled down 
in token of surrender. A single fact will prove the 
humanity with which Captain Winslow conducted the 
fight. At the close of the action his deck was found to 
be literally covered with grape and canister, ready for 
close quarters ; but he had never used a single charge of 
all this during the contest, although within capital range 
for employing it. 

Captain Semmes put in the custom house the following 
valuables: 38 kilo. 700 gr. of gold coin, 6 gr. of jewelry 
and set diamonds, 2 gold watches. 

What, then, became of the pillage of a hundred mer- 
chantmen, the chronometers, etc., which the Times de- 
scribes as the "spolia opima of a whole mercantile fleet?" 
These could not be landed on French soil, and were not ; 
did they go to the bottom with the ship herself, or are 
they saved ? Captain Semmes' preparations were ap- 
parently completed on the 16th, but still he lingers behind 
the famous breakwater, much to the surprise of his men. 
The Deerhound arrives at length, and the preparations are 
rapidly completed. How unfortunate that Mr. Lancaster 
did not favor the Times with a copy of his log-book from 
the 12th to the 19th of June inclusive. 

The record of the Deerhound is suggestive on the morn- 
ing of that memorable Sunday. She steams out from 
behind the Cherbourg breakwater at an early hour, scouts 
hither and thither, apparently purposeless, runs back to 
her anchorage, precedes the Alabama to sea, is the soli- 
tary and close spectator of the fight, whilst the Couronne 
has the delicacy to return to port, and finally, having 
picked up Semmes, thirteen of his oflScers and a few of 
his men, steams off at fullest speed to Southampton, leav- 



24 THE KEARSAEQE — ALABAMA BATTLE 

ing the "apparently much disabled Kearsarge" (Mr. Lan- 
caster's own words) to save two-thirds of the Alabama's 
crew struggling in the water. 

An English gentleman's yacht playing tender to a cor- 
sair ! No one will ever believe that Deerhound to be thor- 
oughbred. 



Officers of the U. S. S. Kearsarge. 

John A. Wlnslow Captain 

James S. Thornton 1st Lieutenant 

John M. Browne Surgeon 

John Adams Smith Paymaster 

William 11. Cushman Chief Engineer 

James R. Wheeler Acting Master 

Eben M. Stoddard " " 

David H. Sumner " " 

William H. Badlam 2d Assistant Engineer 

Fred, L. Miller 3d " " 

Sidney L. Smith 3d " 

Henry McConnell 3d " " 

Edward E. Preble Midshipman 

David B. Sargent Paymaster's Clerk 

S. E. Hartwell Captain's Clerk 

Frank A. Graham Gunner 

James C. Walton Boatswain 

William H. Yeaton Acting Master's Mate 

Charles H. Danforth " " " 

Ezra Bartlett " «' «« 

Officers of the Confederate States Steamer Alabama. 

Raphael Semmes Captain, Maryland 

John Mcintosh Kell 1st Lieutenant, Georgia 

Richard F. Armstrong 2d Lieutenant, Georgia 

Joseph F, Wilson 3d Lieutenant, Florida 

John Low 4th Lieutenant, England 

(was not in the battle) 

Arthur Sinclair 5th Lieutenant, Virginia 

Irvine S. Bulloch Master, Georgia 

Becket K. Howell Lieutenant of Marines, Louisiana 

Francis L. Gait Surgeon and Acting Paymaster, Virginia 

David Herbert Llewellyn Assistant Surgeon, England 

Miles J. Freeman Chief Engineer, England 

Wm. P. Brooks 1st Asst. Engineer, South Carolina 



BY FRANCIS B. C. BRADLEE 25 

Matthew O'Brien 2d Asst. Engineer, Ireland 

William Eobertson 3d Asst. Engineer, England 

Baron Maximilian von Meulnier Master's Mate, Prussia 

Julius Schroeder " " '< 

James Evans Master's Mate, South Carolina 

George T, Fulham Master's Mate, England 

Thomas C. Cuddy Gunner, South Carolina 

W. Breedlove Smith Captain's Clerk 

Simeon W. Cummings 3d Assistant Engineer, Connecticut 

John Pundt .3d Assistant Engineer, South Carolina 

Wm. H. Sinclair Midshipman, Virginia 

E. M. Anderson '< Georgia 

E. A. Maffitt " Georgia 

Henry Alcott Sailmaker, England 

There had been, also, another officer on the Alabama, 
the paymaster, a man named Yonge. He seems to have 
been a poor stick, a hard drinker, neglecting his duty, and 
generally behaving in a most disreputable manner. While 
the Alabama was at Kingston, Jamaica, Yonge deserted, 
apparently to the satisfaction of all the other officers. A 
Southerner born and bred, he owed to the flag an alle- 
giance that was not to be expected of the men of the crew ; 
these were mostly English (with a generous sprinkling of 
ex-man-of-war's men among them), with a few Irish, 
Danes, and one Russian or Finn. 

When the Alabama went into commission on the high 
seas near the Azores, on Sunday, August 24, 1862, and 
Captain Semmes made a speech to the crew, he talked pre- 
cisely as if he were commanding an English man-of-war. 
He spoke of the glory won by British seamen, their 
hatred of oppression, and told of the horrors of war as 
waged by the North against the Confederacy, and indi- 
cated the grand career before them. Here was Captain 
Semmes, who had commanded a United States man-of- 
war, addressing his crew as Englishmen, and urging 
them to do their best to injure and disgrace his own 
countrymen. No British officer would have done that, I 
believe, under any circumstances. 



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